Travelers who cruise on Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas ship starting in early 2012 will have access to an iPad in their cabin, with more ships set to gain Apple's tablet in the coming years.

The cruise line recently announced to USA Today that the 1,804-passenger ship will feature an Apple iPad in every cabin by mid-February of 2012. The iPads will not be permanently affixed in the cabins, meaning passengers will be able to carry their tablet around the ship with them.

Royal Caribbean reportedly plans to add iPads to five more of its 22 ships within the next two years after the ships are dry-docked for renovations. Those ships are the Legend of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas and Vision of the Seas.

"Royal Caribbean says the iPads will be programmed to let passengers access the ship's daily listing of events and activities and to see a personal daily itinerary including shore excursions," author Gene Sloan wrote. The onboard system will also offer access to the Internet, movies, room service and restaurant menus.

The Splendour of the Seas is one of six "Vision class" ships from Royal Caribbean. It features a seven-story lobby, rock-climbing wall, and a 12-hole miniature golf course, and has been in service since March of 1996.

The ship shares time between the coastlines of Europe and South America. Royal Caribbean recently completed a round of renovations on the ship that added the Giovanni's Table Italian restaurant, a poolside movie screen, and a nursery for children.

In early 2010, Celebrity began adding "iLounges" to its line of cruise ships, where the cruise line features a miniature Apple Store. There, vacationers can buy Apple products including MacBooks, iPhones and iPods, as well as take courses on iPhoto and iMovie.

Just took a cruise aboard the Celebrity Eclipse and it had a Mac Mini in every room controlling the entertainment system as well as delivering all manner of shipboard information. When you turned on the TV in your stateroom, there would be a brief "Powered by Apple" message that would pop up on the screen. Of course, you couldn't use the Mac Mini for anything else as it was hidden away and was running a proprietary front end, but it was cool nonetheless. In addition, they had an Apple store (of sorts) on board where you could buy iPods and MacBook Pros and take some basic computer courses (cause that's what we all want to do on a Caribbean cruise, take computer classes).

WIkipedia states the passenger capacity is 2,074. From past experience of using Wiki to research cruise ships details and the fact the number of staterooms, 902, was not included, a value that directly states the minimum number of iPads they'll be buying to fill the rooms, I have to assume that USA Today is likely incorrect on the details.

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WIkipedia states the passenger capacity is 2,074. From past experience of using Wiki to research cruise ships details and the fact the number of staterooms, 902, was not included, a value that directly states the minimum number of iPads they'll be buying to fill the rooms, I have to assume that USA Today is likely incorrect on the details.

Has Solipsism been re-written from the ground up to be true 64-bit and to take full advantage of multi-core architectures?

...will feature an Apple iPad in every cabin by mid-February of 2012. The iPads will not be permanently affixed in the cabins, meaning passengers will be able to carry their tablet around the ship with them.

Has Solipsism been re-written from the ground up to be true 64-bit and to take full advantage of multi-core architectures?

Multi-hardcore architectures.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PowerMach

The capacity of the ship is 1804 passengers at double occupancy (902 x 2). 2,074 is the maximum capacity.

I see how they get 1804 but I can't think of any examples where the capacity isn't the maximum capacity. I'd understand if this article qualified the capacity the way you did in your first sentence as a way of stating the most common, likely or even mean average for passenger capacity.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maecvs

I bet a lot of those units will go "missing". Not unlike the hotel bathrobes... Or, at least there will be attempts....

People tend to put a CC on file for the room and those cabin ninjas are in your room several times a day. The cruise ships typically put out a sheet offering to let you buy the robe toward the end of the cruise so I assume they are well documented.

Still, I'd think that many would get damaged or even swiped if you use them on the ship so they might have an engraved serial number on them and possibly not be 'in' the room, but something you put a deposit on and/or pick up at the front desk in the atrium lobby. I'll bring my own and certainly don't want to be responsible for the ship's $500 device.

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I see how they get 1804 but I can't think of any examples where the capacity isn't the maximum capacity. I'd understand if this article qualified the capacity the way you did in your first sentence as a way of stating the most common, likely or even mean average for passenger capacity.

Perhaps they have extra devices available in case you want to order another one so each passenger can have their own.

I bet a lot of those units will go "missing". Not unlike the hotel bathrobes... Or, at least there will be attempts....

I'm telling you, when you board a cruise ship, you have to give CC info which they then tie to your stateroom card and which you use to make onboard purchases. Likewise, if anything were to go missing, I'm sure they'd bill it right to your CC account. I seriously doubt it would only be covered by some sort of insurance.

The adoption of iOS devices in the marine electronics industry is really interesting. I've been in the satellite industry for 10 years, and maritime is our bread and butter, particularly for data usage. But adoption of new technology in maritime is notoriously slow. There are still guys receiving faxes over satellite to get their weather, even though there are many better ways to do it. Over the past year, there has been a rapid change in the way that the marine IT folks are thinking about data, and iOS seems to be at the forefront (with VoIP and faster Inmarsat and VSAT services not far behind.) Consider:

- Hardly a day goes by that there isn't some new ocean weather or marine navigation program for the iPad. Ben Ellison over at panbo.com covers this extensively.

An iPad is probably one of the easiest things to disinfect compared to the rest of the ship. I have a mild fear of flying, but cruise ships? Forget-about-it!

I see your point and surely when you put that many people from around the world into a small area your chances rise.

They have taken plenty of new precautions over the years with anti-biotic gel everywhere. I've even been on ships where you can't enter the buffet area area without someone squirting it your hands. Personally I stay away from all buffets as a general rule but 24-hour free room service and dining halls with waitered service about 14 hours a day are more than enough to curb my fears.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mstone

Perhaps they have extra devices available in case you want to order another one so each passenger can have their own.

I'd expect them to. WiFi is a standard throughout the ship so being in your room and paying 40¢ a minute for internet on the iPad is pretty good way for them to make money.

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Still, I'd think that many would get damaged or even swiped if you use them on the ship so they might have an engraved serial number on them and possibly not be 'in' the room, but something you put a deposit on and/or pick up at the front desk in the atrium lobby. I'll bring my own and certainly don't want to be responsible for the ship's $500 device.

Ahhh..... Great developer opportunity for a new app: Find My Cruise Ship!

"Swift generally gets you to the right way much quicker." - auxio -

"The perfect [birth]day -- A little playtime, a good poop, and a long nap." - Tomato Greeting Cards -

They have taken plenty of new precautions over the years with anti-biotic gel everywhere. I've even been on ships where you can't enter the buffet area area without someone squirting it your hands. Personally I stay away from all buffets as a general rule but 24-hour free room service and dining halls with waitered service about 14 hours a day are more than enough to curb my fears.

It is not the potential for illness, although that is a bummer when on vacation. I just don't like the tiny cabins, seasickness, engine fires, stranded out to sea without electric power, crowded on deck for life boat drills, wild rambunctious teenagers running about. I'm more like a wilderness adventure or 5 star hotel in San Francisco type of guy.

Soon everybody will already own their own iPad, so no need to offer one in every cabin on a cruise ship.

In related news, I read that county jails are going to offer an Android tablet in every cell. Inmates at several jails have already started rioting in locations all across the country and at least 17 deaths have already been confirmed so far.

One inmate, who goes by the name of Bubba was quoted as saying "No way in hell am I ever going to touch an Android tablet. I may be a pedophile and a rapist and a murderer, but even I deserve better than to use an Android tablet, with it's jerky and un-smooth operation. Inmates have human rights too and we will not stand for this. We'd rather be waterboarded."

It is not the potential for illness, although that is a bummer when on vacation. I just don't like the tiny cabins, seasickness, engine fires, stranded out to sea without electric power, crowded on deck for life boat drills, wild rambunctious teenagers running about. I'm more like a wilderness adventure or 5 star hotel in San Francisco type of guy.

I like the small cabins. It feels snug. And cruise ships are the last transportation that is the entertainment (at least in the States). Planes and trains used to be an experience where you at least get dressed up but now I'm more likely to sit next to someone on a plane that is dressed for the Lido deck of cruise ship. There are even year round cruises that circumnavigate the globe that I'd love to go on if I could just break away from this blasted internet for more than 24 hours. I tried to sign up for an Internet addiction support group but I could find any that were online.

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Hey that's a good idea. You install the app and it cuts your connection speed gradually to a crawl and the last page offers outdoor activities in your area, just before it freezes up.

There's Dick's app. A way to made limit your online experience by making it increasingly more annoying to stay online. Tie that into one of those wrist bands that monitor your exercise levels and you can earn "leisure time."

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It is not the potential for illness, although that is a bummer when on vacation. I just don't like the tiny cabins

Granted, the cabins can be small, but they can still be comfortable.

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Originally Posted by mstone

...seasickness,

Almost unheard of aboard today's modern cruise ships (unless you're one of the unlucky ones who is prone to significant motion sickness problems).

Quote:

Originally Posted by mstone

...engine fires,

When you consider how man cruise ships set sail each and every week, this is a rare occurrence.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mstone

...stranded out to sea without electric power,

See previous comment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mstone

...crowded on deck for life boat drills,

Oh come now, the whole muster station thing takes 10-20 minutes out of your whole vacation. It is for your safety after all, just so you know where your lifeboat is in the unlikely event that you actually need one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mstone

...wild rambunctious teenagers running about.

Maybe you need to stop cruising aboard Carnival.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mstone

...I'm more like a wilderness adventure or 5 star hotel in San Francisco type of guy.

Well, there's no arguing with that. I will say, the 7 days I spent aboard the Celebrity Eclipse back in February was hands-down the best cruise I've yet taken. No problems to speak of and just a relaxing, highly enjoyable vacation.

It is not the potential for illness, although that is a bummer when on vacation. I just don't like the tiny cabins, seasickness, engine fires, stranded out to sea without electric power, crowded on deck for life boat drills, wild rambunctious teenagers running about. I'm more like a wilderness adventure or 5 star hotel in San Francisco type of guy.

Three best/ most interesting places we've ever stayed:

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

El Tovar

Taos Inn

Different reasons... but, El Tovar sits about 50 yds. from the edge of the Grand Canyon. You can take a train up there from Williams, AZ -- that arrives about midnight.

If it is a moonless night, and you're new to the area... When you wake up in the morning -- indescribable!

"Swift generally gets you to the right way much quicker." - auxio -

"The perfect [birth]day -- A little playtime, a good poop, and a long nap." - Tomato Greeting Cards -

Heh, I went on a cruise on that very ship in 2003. They didn't have a climbing wall then. Having been there, they'll probably charge you $5 just to look at it. The food and much of the entertainment was essentially free with the cruise, but oh man, they won't hesitate to nickel and dime you on a whole bunch of things.

And considering the massive amount of octogenarians on these boats, most will probably sit unused as them newfangled tablet thingies are just too confusing.

I like the small cabins. It feels snug. And cruise ships are the last transportation that is the entertainment (at least in the States). Planes and trains used to be an experience where you at least get dressed up but now I'm more likely to sit next to someone on a plane that is dressed for the Lido deck of cruise ship. There are even year round cruises that circumvent the globe that I'd love to go on if I could just break away from this blasted internet for more than 24 hours. I tried to sign up for an Internet addiction support group but I could find any that were online.

I think you meant circumnavigate...

We were on a Rhine Cruise (mostly eating)...

I remember waking up one morning, looking out the porthole -- and seeing a stone wall about a foot away... That's all you could see -- moss covered stones... no water, no sky, no nuthin' but stones...

We were in a lock and the ship was built especially to the maximum size that could traverse the lock.

That was too snug!

"Swift generally gets you to the right way much quicker." - auxio -

"The perfect [birth]day -- A little playtime, a good poop, and a long nap." - Tomato Greeting Cards -

I remember waking up one morning, looking out the porthole -- and seeing a stone wall about a foot away... That's all you could see -- moss covered stones... no water, no sky, no nuthin' but stones...

We were in a lock and the ship was built especially to the maximum size that could traverse the lock.

That was too snug!

I do mean circumnavigate. Damn auto-correct.

I like the rooms with no windows and no balconies on cruise ships. The sun comes up way too early over the horizon in the Caribbean. I much prefer being able to have a dark room any time of the day. If I need some fresh air I'll hit the deck fo some socialization, Calypso music and some over-priced tropical beverage.

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